Tree device for traveling-bags.



E. W. BRYSON. TREE DEVIOEFOR TRAVELING. BAGS.

APPLICATION FILED OOTA, 1912.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-.WA5HINUTON. D. C.

EVIE WALTON BRYSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TREE DEVICE FOR TRAVELING-BAGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Application filed October 4, 1912. Serial N 0. 723,879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVIE WALTON BRYSON, a citizen of the United States,and resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tree Devices forTraveling-Bags, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tree device for holding traveling bags orthe like in shape and for preserving the same in expanded contour andagainst deterioration from sagging or breaking down.

The device is adapted for use in traveling bags or the like which areconstructed of leather or pliable material. Such bags, be ing soft andpliable, are liable to sag or break down when out of use, which causesdeterioration of the leather or other pliable material of which the bagis constructed.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective means ortree device which may be conveniently and readily employed and insertedin the bag to sustain the same in expanded or normal position when emptyand out of use, whereby the contour of the bag will be preserved anddeterioration of the leather or pliable material prevented.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the classabove set forth which is also adapted to be employed in the bag when thelatter is packed or in use, and which will under such conditions alsoeffectively serve to hold the bag in open position when desired or toretain the contents of the bag in compact position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterabove set forth which will be adjustable for effective service in bagsof various sizes and forms,

and in which the parts can be readily separated and detached andassembled in knocked down form so that they occupy a flat compact spaceand the device can when out of use be conveniently carried within the baTn the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of the tree deviceembodying my invention, parts being broken away to show the features ofconstruction and its operative position being illustrated in dottedlines. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the under side of the device.Fig. 3 is a detail crosssection, taken on the line mw, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa detail cross-section taken on either of V lation to each the lines 'zy, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken througha traveling bag and showing the device in operative position therein asa tree device for expanding the bag in normal position. Fig. 6 is a viewcorresponding to Fig. 5 and showing the device in operative position forholding the bag open, its further operative position for retaining thecontents of the bag being illustrated in dotted lines. Fig. 7 is abottom plan view of the under side of the device, illustrating amodified construction of the base member. Fig. 8 is a detail verticalsectional view, taken on the line zz, Fig. 7

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the baseof the device, whichpreferably comprises two strip members, 2 and 3, respectively, which arerelatively slidable with reother so that the base may be extended orcontracted to readily adapt the device for operative service intraveling bags of difi'erent widths or sizes. In the preferredconstruction, the base members 2 and 3 are formed of metal plates, andto effect the relatively-slidable adjustable operation the main stripmember 2 has its edges turned under, as at 4, to form alongitudinally-extending socket at the under side of the base 1 withinwhich is slidably received the supplementary strip member 3. To theouter ends of the respective base strip members 2 and 3 are connectedupwardly-extending resilient arms, 5 and 6, respectively, in strip form,which arms are preferably formed of strips or plates of spring metal.The con nection of said resilient strips or arms with the respectivestrip members of the base is preferably detachable, and in the preferredconstruction for this purpose the portions of the respective base stripmembers 2 and 3' have their edges turned under, as at 7 and 8, to formsockets at the under side which respectively and slidably receive theterminal bottom ends, 9 and 10, of the resilient arms 5' and 6, theseends being turned at right-angles to the upwardly-extending body portionof the arm.

The resilient arms 5 and 6 normally eX- tend in perpendicular positionat right angles to the base 1, and one of the arms, 5, is provided atits terminal top end with a socket, 11, adapted to slidably receive thefree end portion of the other arm, 6, this 6 is inserted in the socket11 of the resilient purpose the latter is preferably recessed, as at 20,to accommodate the body ends of the resilient arms within the plane ofthe bottom surface of said base strip.

It will be noted that, in the construction as herein shown, theresilient arms may be readily disconnected from each other and alsodetached from the base, and the device thus reduced to compact knockeddown position in which the base and arms may be placed parallel to eachother and will occupy a flat compact space, whereby the device isadapted to be conveniently carried in the bag.

Under some circumstances of preferred use,'the tree device constitutingmy present invention may be employed in the bag with the base 1extending transversely of the length of the bottom 17 of the bag,instead of transversely across the width of the bottom as shown in Figs.5 and 6, and under such circumstances of lengthwise use in the bag theoperation of the resilient arms 5 and 6 will be the same as when thedevice is employed crosswise of the bag, as will be readily understood.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the detailconstruction and arrangement of parts as herein shown and described, asit is manifest that variations and modifications therein may be resortedto, in the adaptation of my invention to varying conditions of use,without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention andimprovements. I therefore reserve 1 9 the right to all suchvariations'and modifications as properly fall within the scope of myinvention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I 105, claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A tree device for traveling bags or the like, comprising a baseadapted to rest within the bag and across the bottom thereof, re- 11osilient arms carried by said base and respectively extending upwardlyfrom the end portions thereof and adapted to form a spring bowtensionally bearing against the inner sides of the upper portion of thebag, 115 and means for detachably connecting the free end portions ofsaid resilient arms to adj ustably retain them under spring action inbowed form against their tensional spread upwardly and outwardly.

2. A tree device for traveling bags or the like, comprising a baseadapted to rest within the bagv and across the bottom thereof, andresilient arms carried by said base and respectively extending upwardlyfrom the 125 end portions thereof and adapted to form a spring bowtensionally bearing against the inner sides of the upper portion of thebag, the top end portion of one of said resilient arms carrying a socketslidably receiving lac socket being preferably formed by integral wings,12-12, upon said arm 5, which wings are bent over above the surface ofthe arm to form the socket. Below the socket, said arm 5 slidablycarries a collar, 14, within which is adapted to be received theterminal end, 15, of the other resilient arm 6, which extends beyond thesocket, to retain the resilient arms in detachably connected operativeposition.

In operation, it, will be understood that with the construction as abovedescribed the base 1 is adjustable to different degrees of extension orcontraction and the resilient arms 5 and 6 are adjustable to variousdegrees of relatively bowed and detachably connected position. Inpractice, the device is placed within the bag, shown at 16, with thebase 1 immediately above and trans versely of the bottom, shown at 17,thereof, and with the resilient arms 5 and 6 extending upwardly andbearing against the inner sides of the respective sides of the bag body.Then, when it is desired to employ the device as a tree for sustainingthe bag in normal shape when closed and out of use, the free end portionof the resilient arm arm 5, to produce a spring bow of desired size, andthe terminal end of the arm 6 is retained by the collar or slide 14, andthus when the bag is closed the spring bow formed by said arms will bearinteriorly upon the respective sides of the bag and sustain the same inexpanded position, as illustrated in Fig. 5. In like manner, the devicemay be employed as a means for retaining the contents of the bag incompressed position, by producing a bow constituted by the arms 5 and 6and extending over and bearing upon the contents, as illustrated in Fig.6. The device will also operate to retain the bag in open positionduring use, by disconnecting the resilient arm 6 from the resilient arm5, in which position said upwardly, projecting arms will tensionallyoperate by pressure against the respective sides of the bag at the top,as illustrated in Fig. 6.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have illustrated a modilied construction in whichthe base 1, in lieu of being extensibly adjustable and constituted byrelatively-slidable members, is constituted by a single strip, 18, whichmay be of wood and is adapted to the desired size, the detachableconnection of the resilient arms 5 and 6 with said strip 18 beingpreferably effected by a construction embodying slots, 19, providedtransversely and adjacent the respective ends of said strip. In thisconstruction, the resilient arms 5 and 6 are respectively insertedthrough the slots 19 and brought to a relative position in which theterminal ends of their right-angular bottom portions extend outwardlyand bear against the under side of. the strip 18, for which the free endportion of said other resilient arm.

3. A tree device for traveling bags or the like, comprising a baseadapted to rest within the bag and across the bottom thereof, resilientarms carried by said base and respec tively extending upwardly from theend portions thereof and adapted to form a spring ow tensionally bearingagainst the inner sides of the upper portion of the bag, the top endportion of one of said resilient arms carrying a socket slidablyreceiving the free end portion of said other resilient arm, and meanscarried by one of said resilient arms and slidably engaging the terminalend of said other resilient arm.

4. A tree device for traveling bags or the like, comprising a baseadapted to rest with in the bag and across the bottom thereof, said basebeing extensibly adjustable, and resilient arms carried by said base andrespectively extending upwardly from the end portions thereof andadapted to form a spring bow tensionally bearing against the inner sidesof the upper portion of the bag.

5. A tree device for traveling bags or the like, comprising a baseadapted to rest within the bag and across the bottom thereof, resilientarms carried by said base and respectively extending upwardly from theend portions thereof and adapted to form a spring bow tensionallybearing against the inner sides of the upper portion of the bag, saidresilient arms being detachably connected with said base, and meanscarried by one of said resilient arms for engaging and retaining thefree end portion of said other resilient arm.

6. A tree device for traveling bags or thelike, comprising a baseadapted to rest within the bag and across the bottom thereof, said basebeing constituted by relativelyslidable members whereby it is extensiblyadjustable, resilient arms carried by said base and respectivelyextending upwardly from the end portions thereof and adapted to form aspring bow tensionally bearing against the inner sides of the upperportion of the bag, said resilient arms being detachably connected withsaid base, a socket upon one of said resilient arms slidably receivingthe free end portion of said other resilient arm, and a device upon oneof said resilient arms slidably engaging the terminal end'of said otherresilient arm.

In testimony name in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

EVIE WALTON BRYSON. Witnesses:

J 0s. REED LITTELL, MADELINE RosENLIoH'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. M

whereof I have signed my

